Sacrificial Love of Women Who Saved Me

You never know your impact on generations that follow. Be sacrificial.

Not only did George serve as my family primary care physician, but became instrumental in the rebuild of our information technology division. With a village of clinicians, operators and technicians, we would eventually quadruple client satisfaction in 4 years, a feat so unusual it became a Gartner case study. We moved from last to first but moreover, helped improve quality, safety, experience and financials to enable a new era of strength for the organization. He was key.

After the surprise and excitement of becoming CIO subsided, reality sunk in. Deep. The task at hand formidable, it was all hands on deck and without a doubt, our entire team learned on the job. Clinicians and operators like George helped us navigate the independent and affiliated medical staffs who had no interest in some of our transformative ideas. We were still a couple years away from formalizing our first chief medical information officer role, so George's early influence along with our chief medical officer, proved critical.

George formally served in our governance process as Information Technology Chair. Most critically, he ran informal interference for us as we geared up for some pretty serious initiatives to take us out of the technical middle ages and into a renaissance of sorts. He would routinely provide me counsel and help me navigate the politics of academic medicine. As we spent time catching up, I realized just how blessed I am to have leaders like him give this kid a chance (see video below).

I realized speaking with him that I am who I am in good measure to him. We went to dinner and a social that evening to catch up. I was able to hug him and give him thanks and credit for shaping me into the leader I am today. Without George there is no Ed.

And not surprisingly, George continues to excel. After University Hospitals he went to become Dean at Central Michigan University College of Medicine and EVP for Health Affairs at Central Michigan University. Most of all, an exceptional human.

I implore all readers to give yourselves to help next generation leaders. You never know who they might become and the impact they may have in service to others.

I am one of thousands of benefactors from that sacrificial love. Through wounds and scars many years down the road, I would meet the barefoot Himalayan village girl Simran in a Texas hospital. My life would be saved. Simran and I were both Reborn. Revitalized. Repaired. Restored. We visited her village and I promised Mona to take care of her daughter. I thanked her for the gift of her daughter in not just my life, but the thousands of others she blessed in the United States. We built her a modern home so the last 10 years of her life were comfortable. Running water and all!

Selma Marx. Selma was my Dad’s mom. The grandmother I never met. Selma knew that all of the prisoners would soon be transferred from Camp Gurs over to Auschwitz. She would do anything to save 6 year old Herbert from the chambers of death. With no options left, Selma gave herself to the Nazi guards to secure a pathway to freedom for my Dad. After many months, guards called Herbert over and loaded him into the back of an exiting army supply truck. Clearing the view from the tower over the gates, the truck pulled to the side of the road where French Resistance fighters took my Dad. They dropped Herb at a Catholic Convent where the brave nuns hid him from searches for 3 years. Dad eventually was transferred to the Swiss underground where they took him over the Alps into neutral territory.



Years after the war, 14 year old orphaned Herb made way to the United States. He was excited to see the Statue of Liberty and the towering cityscape of New York. Free at last, he took advantage of new opportunities and moved on and made a life. Drafted, Dad went back to Germany to occupy the land that once enslaved him, meeting my mother. A phoenix rises. Selma taught us all, Hope Over Despair, Love Over Hate and Good Over Evil.

If not for the sacrifice of Selma Marx, I would not be writing this nor you reading this. Little did she know the impact her decision would have on thousands of others.



May we lead sacrificial lives and make decisions in the best interest of future generations.